THE PLAN
Every Monday I will post the reading for the week ahead. It will be about 10 chapters a week. You might want to read a chapter or two a day, and catch up at weekends. If there is a verse that especially spoke to you, a question that you have, or a thought that struck you, please share it with your fellow travellers by making a comment.
6 comments:
After all the excitement of going back to Jerusalem and the prospect of rebuilding the temple, 3:12 comes as a bit of a jolt. The prophets in exile had promised a glorious new temple. And the old folks realise this isn’t it. Ezra-Nehemiah keeps reminding us that “this isn’t it. It’s great, but it’s not the glorious fulfilment of all the Lord’s promises. The OT ends with them still waiting
Thanks Mike, I get that. I do wonder also whether in these older guys who wept, there was genuine sorrow for sin....that it wasn't as it had been. It challenges me to see the seriousness of my sin, and if I'm in doubt about that, to look again at the cross and see what it cost my Saviour.
One wonders what the end of the story was in these guys. We can't put right our past failures but our Saviour gloriously wipes the slate clean when we turn to Him.
6:22 ..the LORD had filled them with JOY by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria.....
Such a great reminder so many times in this short book that the Lord will achieve his purposes and is sovereign over the hearts of men. Gives us great hope in some small challenges for our family at the moment, and confidence to keep trusting him.
Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
Ezra 6:7
Loving the fact that the Lord works in the hearts of pagan kings to achieve His purposes and to keep His people safe. What an encouragement! Helps me to keep praying for our government and PM at this time, not give up doing so in frustration.
We have enjoyed reading Ezra this week because:
"God has a plan for us, because he had a plan for Ezra and King Cyrus, so there will be good things and bad things in the future but they are all in God's hands"... "I liked the bit where the people praised the Lord when the foundation of the temple was laid because it reminded me 'His love endures forever'- through Jesus Gods love for us endures forever as well"... "it reminded me how God's people need to keep going and worship him wholeheartedly despite opposition and discouragement from the world around them..."It was wonderful to see Gods' sovereign hand on the hearts of men and that gives me faith to trust him more for the future."
The Russells (Simon,Lucy, Katie and Hannah)
Thank you Russells for a great team post. It's so lovely to think of you all reading and chewing on God's Word together.
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